NC man dies after tractor trailer goes off CBBT

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) -- A North Carolina truck driver died after his tractor trailer went over the side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Thursday.

Tom Anderson, the Deputy Director of Operations for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District, told 13News Now the incident happened in the southbound lanes of the Eastern Shore side of the bridge-tunnel around 12:30 p.m. at mile marker 15.

The driver, identified as 47-year-old Joseph Chen from Greenville, NC, was spotted on top of the vehicle's cab at 12:35 p.m. and was recovered by a Navy helicopter from Squadron HSC-2. Chen died while en route to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Anderson says Chen was hauling seafood for Evans Transport in Washington, NC at the time of the accident.

Officials believe the cab of the truck detached from the trailer. Dive teams are set to look for the cab on Friday afternoon. It is believed that the trailer of the truck drifted away from the bridge and sank. Crews might not be able to recover it.

Damage to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel after a tractor trailer went over the side. The driver died.
(Photo: Bill Tiernan, The Virginian-Pilot)

At the time of the accident, Anderson said the bridge-tunnel was under travel restrictions due to high winds. According to the facility's website, restrictions become active when winds reach 40 mph.

Those same heavy winds prevented Accomack County Public Schools students from returning from an event in Williamsburg on Thursday because buses were not allowed to cross over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The southbound lanes of the bridge-tunnel have since reopened to traffic, except in the area where the truck went off, where traffic is down to one lane.

That one lane is expected to remain closed while guard rail repairs are made, which is expected to go on for about a week.

Video of responders on the CBBT. All lanes seem to be reopened after Tractor Trailer falls off. (Video shot from passenger side). pic.twitter.com/DKjgGCFga8